The Friendship at the Hoover
by late2bbparty
Summary: Series of one shots/missing scenes between our favorite federal prosecutor and special agent. I don't own Bones. Feedback and prompts welcome.
1. The Eulogy

She was supposed to give his eulogy tomorrow.

Caroline Julian stared at the blank legal pad that had been mocking her for the past two hours. If she was honest, the past week. Ever since Cullen had asked her to step up to the task. She'd tried multiple times, but she who prided herself on being able to make grown men twice her size quiver in the court room with her words was speechless. It irritated the crap out of her. But then it brought a small smile to her face as she recognized HE would be enjoying this. Very few things amused him more than flustering her. She could picture his cat ate the canary grin.

She let out a sigh and shook her head. It shouldn't have ended like this for him. One of the best agents she had ever had the privilege of working with, and probably ever would. He was an army ranger. Had survived multiple deployments in god forsaken war zones and dealt with the nastiest humanity had to offer. To be gunned down in a karoke bar by a crazy stalker, even if it was in protection of his partner, just wasn't right. In a just world he would have died peacefully in his sleep at a ripe old age, when his son had decades of memories with his father stored. But she'd known for a long time that this was not a just world.

Ok Caroline she thought, get your act together. Getting pissed off at the world would not get this done. She needed to focus. Start at the beginning. The first case she'd worked with him on he was the junior agent on a murder for hire. She hadn't dealt with him much during the arrest phase - just enough to get the impression that he was easy enough on the eyes, and while he hadn't said or done anything to impress her, he hadn't managed to piss her off either - which is more than most agents could say. When it came time for final trial prep, the senior agent had been pulled off onto a task force. Then the judge had thrown out some key evidence on a technicality.

She'd come from the courtroom spitting nails, what had been a pretty slam dunk case was now looking very iffy and she had to deal with a wet behind the ears FBI guy. She'd hauled him into her office to explain the situation. Thirty minutes and several decibels later he had stormed out and she had nearly busted her door slamming it behind him. That had been on a Thursday. She hadn't seen him on Friday being tied up in court on another case. On Monday morning one of the financial wonks looking a little more disheveled than was normal even for them knocked on her door, stack of file folders in his hand. An hour later he had walked her through the new evidence which would eventually lead to a conviction. As he left the office, he had muttered, "Thank GOD. Now maybe Booth will get off my ass." Further questioning had revealed that Booth had phoned the guy with a question late Friday night, another early Saturday morning, and then several more on Sunday trying to untangle a complicated financial trail leading to the payment of the hit man. The questions became more frequent and complex until finally Sunday night the forensic accountant had given up and come into the office. The two of them had worked all night finding the answers. Booth had finally left around 5:30 that morning to grab a couple hours of sleep and a shower saying that finance guys could explain it better than he could.

They had won the case and she had proposed a celebratory drink. One drink turned into two. He was unphased by her bluster and she grudgingly admitted that the new evidence had actually made her job easier. From there they had formed a tentative friendship based on mutual admiration. Over time, she had realized that her initial impression of him as a golden boy who had sailed through life on his abundant good looks and charm had been wrong. There were no grand confessions of course, that wasn't his style, but bit by bit she came to recognize that his path to the Hoover had as many road blocks and potholes as her own. When she transferred down to New Orleans to be able to take care of her dying mother, they'd kept in touch. He'd been one of the first to welcome her back when she'd returned to DC. There had been many late nights planning strategy and arguing tactics. When she'd reach the limits of her patience he'd crack a joke with that crooked grin of his. When he'd reach the limits of his, she'd channel her grand-mere, and talk him down. In between they'd offer tidbits of personal information between courses of Chinese food. Damn, she was going to miss him.

Her pad was still empty. No, that wasn't entirely accurate. A couple of tears had warped the blank pages.

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The morning of the funeral was sunny and bright. Mocking her mood.

When it came time to speak, she was a nervous as her first trial. And as unprepared.

" _I knew Seeley Booth. He was a good man, who earned my respect and affection-and I don't like many people. Booth had a selfless commitment to his work, first in the military and then the FBI. Two weeks ago, he made the ultimate sacrifice, giving his life to save his partner. And in that brave act he showed us what greatness we are all capable of. May God's mercy and love shine on Seeley Booth as he takes his place beside the Lord_."

She placed the rose on his casket, feeling woefully inadequate. Hoping that somehow he understood, that in the end, she had opted to keep her memories private. Then all hell broke loose.

After the chaos had ended, she had hugged him briefly and then lightly smacked him on the shoulder saying that she was glad to see him and that he damn well had some explain' to do after he'd smoothed things over with the squint squad. She was glad it wasn't her that had THAT task. She was also glad when he quickly took off, she would have hated to have to explain why here hands were shaking as she tried to unlock the Gremlin.

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A few hours later, after the latest wrinkle in the Gormogon case had been reported, and she'd gotten the full story from Cullen, she'd heard through the grape vine that he was back in the office. She grabbed the bottle and headed down to the fourth floor.

He was unpacking a box when she rapped on the door frame.

He didn't look up, "Just add whatever you took from my office to the pile. No questions asked."

She smirked, "Been getting a lot of that, Cher?"

He looked up, "Oh. Hey Caroline." He shrugged, "Yeah. Evidently it's easier to get staplers, keyboards, post-its and other office essentials from the dead guys office than the supply room or procurement. Luckily Cullen managed to keep most of my office furniture from being scavenged. "

She nodded, "But he had to start packing up your office to keep up appearances."

"A little, turns out most of the boxes were for show. " He paused, then really looked at what she was carrying, "YOU took my good bottle of scotch?"

"Of course, since I gave it to you, I figured it was only right." She narrowed her gaze at him and harrumphed, "Would you want it to have gone to ANYONE else?" She waited for him to shake his head, "If it makes you feel any better I was going to use it to toast you when I won convictions on our outstanding cases. "

He gave a short laugh, "That does help." He sobered and then added, "And, thank you. Cullen told me that you read him the riot act about classifying my death in the line of duty so that Parker would get a bigger insurance pay out. "

She put the bottle on his desk and waved her hand, "That was nothin' Cher. 'Though I was pretty put out when Cullen was tryin to tell me not to worry my pretty little head about it. " Then her gaze softened, "And I can't tell you how glad I am that we don't have to fight that battle with HR. I have missed your broad shoulders around this place the last couple of weeks. I am very happy that it was not a permanent situation."

He blushed a little at her words. "Thanks." He grabbed the bottle, "You wanna toast that?"

She raised her eyebrows, "Shouldn't you still be on pain killers?"

"Didn't take any today, needed to be sharp for the funeral."

Noting that his face was a little pale, making the bruise from Dr. Brennan's right hook a little more obvious, and that he had raised the bottle with his left hand, "Seeley Booth. I didn't ask if you HAD taken meds, I asked if you SHOULD be taking them."

"I'm fine Caroline."

"Uh huh." She said, her tone conveying her skepticism at his declaration. Deciding he wasn't likely to be more forthcoming she changed gears, "And is everything fine with the Jeffersonian?"

He sighed and she noted the left hand rubbed his forehead while his right stayed on his knee, he was in some discomfort. "I think so." He looked up and exhaled, "Seems like Bones wasn't notified that I was alive even though she was supposed to. I think it'll be a while before I'm out of the dog house with her."

"Oh Cher. " She shook her head sympathetically, "I don't envy you puttin' the lid back on that can of worms." At his glum expression she admonished gently, "The drink can wait. You've had a long day, and I imagine the last couple of weeks haven't been a picnic. And, if Gorgomon is active again, you're not going to be sitting around eating bon bons anytime soon. Go home, get some rest."

He started to protest and she interrupted, "Do you REALLY want to get on my bad side your first day back from the dead?" At his head shake, she added, "Glad to see that there was no brain damage from your adventures. Now grab your keys, you can walk me to my car."

He stood and gave a slight bow, and offered his arm, "Ms. Julian, it would be my honor."

She ignored the arm, giving him a gentle hug instead, "Damn right, Seeley Booth."

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A/N: Caroline's eulogy came from the episode "The Pain in the Heart"


	2. Lifetime Achievement

A/N: My brain is refusing the notion that these chapters should be in chronological order, so, they will jump around. This one is set in the season 10 hiatus. I

Booth walked into the Royal Diner to meet Caroline for breakfast. The prosecutor was already seated, and he smiled when he saw that there was already a cup of coffee poured for him. He leaned down to give her shoulders a quick squeeze, "Hey Caroline."

She studied him as he sat down and added sugar to his coffee, pleased with what she saw. Even though he had only left the FBI ten days before, the last time she had seen him this relaxed and happy had been at his wedding. "Retirement is agreeing with you." Taking in his suit she added, "but you didn't need to get this fancy to meet little ol' me. Not that I don't appreciate a sharp dressed man."

A faint blush appeared on his cheeks, "Thanks Caroline. And while it's agreeing with me now, I don't think I can do it full time yet, so the suit is because I have a meeting at Quantico to see about a freelance teaching contract."

"Well, they couldn't do better. "

Joanie came to take their order, and the conversation turned to updates on Caroline's frustrations on working with good, but not great FBI agents. She grudgingly admitted that Aubrey had potential which brought a smile to Booth's face. Booth in turn updated her on Christine's latest exploits "helping" him paint the nursery for her new little brother due to arrive in a month's time.

After they had finished eating, Booth leaned forward on his elbows and said, "It's not that I don't enjoy spending time with my favorite member of the justice department, but, why do I get the feeling that you have an ulterior motive?"

"Because retired or not, you are still the finest investigator I know. I need a favor."

"Anything for you."

She reached into her brief case and handed him a letter, "Read the first two paragraphs."

He opened it with trepidation, she was acting a little odd.

 _Black Women in Law National Headquarters_

 _June 15, 2015_

 _Dear Ms. Julian,_

 _It is with great pleasure that we inform you of your selection as this year's recipient of our lifetime achievement award. Your body of work throughout your 30 year career culminating in The People vs. Glenn Durant has made you the unanimous selection by the national committee._

 _We would be honored to present this award at the closing ceremony of our national convention, Thursday, August 13 at 5pm. Our president will be contacting you shortly to confirm your acceptance of this honor and to schedule a biographical interview to be used at the award presentation. To make this a more memorable occasion for you, please consider selecting a colleague to prepare a short personal introduction._

Booth looked up grinning widely, "This is excellent Caroline! Well deserved!" Then a feeling of dread started to wash over him, "so, what's the favor?"

"I would like you to do the introduction."

Crap, dread confirmed, trying to not let it show he sipped his coffee trying to find a way out, "I am honored, but are you sure? I mean, shouldn't it be someone with a little more prestige?" Or at least someone who didn't turn green at the thought of addressing a room full of lawyers he added mentally.

"There is not anyone more prestigious than you Seeley Booth."

He gave her a half smile, "Now you are just trying to butter me up so I'll forget that I'd rather have a root canal than speak in public."

"Cher, it's a room full of women lawyers, all you gotta do is show up lookin' like you do now and they won't care what comes out of your mouth. " She took a drink of her coffee amused that she managed to fluster him again. "So, is my flattery working?"

He exhaled loudly, "I know better than to try and get you to take no for an answer. The new little guy should have arrived a couple weeks before, so, assuming no complications, you've got yourself a speaker." Was it wrong of him to hope that Brennan's pregnancy went a little long?

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The night of the ceremony arrived. Caroline was allowed a table of guests at the awards so Brennan, Cam, Hodgins, Angela, Aubrey, Clark and Daisy were talking at the cocktail hour with her ex husband, David Baron, her daughter Marie, Andrew Jursic, Marcellus and Keith Miller. The Jeffersonian crew was amused at the lack of color in Booth's face, but trying not to tease him too badly. For one, they weren't sure on his firearm status and secondly if they were honest with themselves, they wouldn't have wanted to be in his position, there were about 500 people in attendance. However, Hodgins could not hold back a snort at Booth's expression when he found out that he would be eating at the head table with Caroline and the other conference dignitaries. During dinner Brennan observed her husband and sent a text to Max informing him that he should plan on spending the night, the couple would be later than originally planned since they would need to stop and eat after the ceremony. Despite the meals being better than average for an awards banquet, it was clear Booth was not able to enjoy his dinner.

After dessert the awards portion of the evening began. To Booth's dismay, Caroline's was the last one on the program. He was going to have go to confession for hatred of scholarship recipients.

Finally the president of the organization started...

"And now for our final award. This years recipient of the Lifetime Achievement award is the eldest of four children born to a longshoreman and a Sunday School teacher in Baton Rouge Louisiana. She was the first member of her family to attend college and graduated summa cum laude from Louisiana State University. She was awarded a full scholarship to Georgetown Law School, where she graduated with high honors. After working for the district attorney's office in East Baton Rouge Parish, she joined the Justice Department in 1985. "

The president kept talking and Booth was looking more and more nervous. Caroline placed her hand on his forearm and leaned over to him whispering, "Cher, relax. Just pretend the audience is all serial killers." He looked at her in disbelief and she gave a half shrug, "I've seen you less nervous when you're about to go after armed suspects in seedy warehouses. I thought it might help. " He shook his head and pressed his lips together trying not to laugh out loud.

The president continued... "In her most recent case, the people vs. Glenn Durant, her work has resulted in multiple convictions, the removal of three federal judges who had compromised their oath of office as a result of ethics violation, as well as the retirement of several state officials and one congressman. Here to introduce this years Lifetime Achievement award winner is a decorated Army Ranger and combat veteran. He was the lead FBI agent on the Durant case at great personal cost. While searching for the truth - his home was destroyed, he was critically wounded and for three months, wrongfully imprisoned. Please welcome Mr. Seeley Booth."

Booth took deep steadying breaths as he made his way to the podium. Not having really registered HIS introduction, he was somewhat shocked with the amount of applause he was receiving.

"Thank you. I was introduced to Caroline Julian 12 years ago a few months after joining the FBI in DC. Her reputation was well known on the fourth floor of the Hoover building, but, when I was called to meet with her the first time, like any good soldier heading into hostile territory I gathered intelligence. EVERY person I asked gave me the same advice. Know your stuff. Most added a 'good luck'. A few went so far as to say it had been nice knowing me." There were a few laughs in the audience, the loudest coming from Caroline's table. "Obviously, I survived that first meeting, and many others after it. What I quickly learned from her was that it wasn't enough to know the evidence, you had to challenge it as well. Why was it important? How else could it be interpreted? In other words what would to it happen in court? And soon while working cases and there is a voice with a Cajun accent in the back of my mind asking those questions. And while searching for those answers I become a much better investigator. "

"Caroline demands excellence. From her team and most importantly herself. No matter the hour her Gremlin is a fixture in the Hoover parking lot. She once told me that a trial was the last chance for justice for the victims and their families and that responsibility could never be taken lightly. Championing those who don't have a voice has been a driving force in her life both professionally and personally. That is evidenced by her work on the board at the United Teaching Fellows, a program that has helped hundreds of under served youth in the DC area receive the assistance they need to succeed academically. And the more personal interest she has taken in some of the students there. When Mia Ferrara, a teacher in the program was murdered several months ago, Caroline took over tutoring one of Mia's students Marcellus as well as his older brother Keith. Keith recently received his GED and will become a part time student at American University in the fall. I was talking with Keith before the program this evening and when I congratulated him. His response was, 'Thanks, but, I just did the work, Ms. Julian provided the carrots AND the sticks.' "

He glanced over at Caroline and followed her gaze into the audience. Keith and Marcellus were beaming ear to ear as the rest of the table congratulated the young man. He no longer needed his notes. "On a more personal note, even though she is a prosecutor, I have most admired her work as a defender. The last eighteen months have been some of the most challenging of my life and Caroline has been one of my staunchest supporters. " He swallowed hard, "I have always believed that there are two kinds of families, your family by blood and the one that chooses you." He turned to look at her, "I am extremely proud and grateful to call her family." He turned back to the audience, "Ladies and gentleman, please join me in welcoming this year's Lifetime Achievement honoree, Ms. Caroline Julian."

As he hugged her at the podium she whispered, "Damn you Cher, for making me all emotional."

He pulled back, clasping her hands in his and gave her one of his best charm smiles, "I'm sure you'll forgive me."


	3. Broadsky

Post Hole in the Heart.

Booth sat in his office, lost in thought. It had been a hell of a day in a hell of a week in a hell of a couple of months and it would take a while for him and the squint squad to recover. He knew that while Sweets had the text book knowledge to help the team recover from Vincent's death, he was the one with practical experience. He needed to get himself right. He frowned when realized that the office was dark - not only had the sun set, but he'd been sitting still long enough that the motion sensors judged the office to be empty and turned out the lights. The energy efficiency had gone completely unnoticed in his contemplations. He thought briefly about waving his arms around for illumination but rejected the idea. The door was open, and though the bullpen was mostly empty the lack of lights would discourage interruption by the few agents left. He knew that Broadsky being in custody had generated some buzz but he was not in the mood to discuss it. He had some time before he could leave for the Jeffersonian and he hoped to be left alone.

Caroline Julian had other ideas however. She'd been in court the last couple of days and hadn't overlapped Booth in the office. She'd returned to the Hoover already happy with a guilty verdict and her good mood was boosted with the news that not only was Special Agent Seeley Booth unharmed in this latest round with Broadsky, but that there would be no rematch. As she got in the elevator to the fourth floor she was torn between the hope that he had left for a much needed break or that he was still in the office so that she could see for herself that he was unscathed. As she turned the corner she saw the darkened office, she was about to turn around when she noticed the open door and his profile in the shadows cast by the glow of the computer screen. Seeley Booth sitting in the dark was not a good sign. Ignoring the warning glances of the few remaining agents she marched towards the end of the bullpen. She knocked briefly on the door frame and stepped into the office without waiting for a response. He blinked as the lights came and sighed, anyone else he could quickly blow off, but he knew he didn't stand a chance against the diminutive prosecutor. Resigning himself to his fate, he still attempted the old the best defense is a good offense strategy, "Hey Caroline, Broadsky is in custody in the hospital, he'll make a full recovery in prison, I'm fine. "

She arched an eyebrow, "Fine people do not sit in the dark." She paused, considering, "Why are you still here? Hacker's not hasslin' you is he? Or Internal Affairs? " She got indignant, "According to my sources it was a justified shooting!"

He held up his hand to stop her, lest she get a full head of steam rolling, "Relax. Hacker's fine, he told me to take a few days off while IA dots the i's and crosses the t's, other than the standard bureaucratic bull everything is fine. I'm here because by the time I finished up statements and paperwork there was no point on going home since I gotta be at the Jeffersonian in, " he looked at his watch, "oh about 45 minutes." At her questioning look, he added softly, "They are sending Vincent's body back to England tonight. I need to be there."

"Oh Cher, I'm sorry." She studied him, "How are the squints taking this?"

"They're understandably shaken. They lost a colleague, in their home." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, "They're sad and angry. Nailing Broadsky will help, but it's going to take time."

She nodded in agreement, "I'm sure. And you'll be there every step of the way with them. And how are you doing?"

He shrugged, "Come on, Caroline, it's not the first time the guy next to me has been shot."

She had to work to suppress a shudder. She flashed back to when Heather Taffett had been shot and how scared she had been. She couldn't imagine going through that again. And how sad that her friend had done it multiple times. "That fact does not make me feel any better, and you didn't answer my question Seeley Booth."

"I'm fine." At her skeptical glance he added, "Or I will be. Just need to get my head wrapped around..." He paused, considering all the thoughts bouncing around in his head, handing Vincent the phone, Broadsky's fall from fellow comrade in arms to hired killer, the change in his and Bones' relationship, he looked down at the carpet searching for the right words and failing, finally offering up lamely "...everything." She took a couple of steps and sat in one of his guest chairs, angling it so that she could look him in the eye when he decided that the answers to his problems would not be found in the industrial carpet. She knew that taking down Broadsky had been rough on him and she was ashamed to think that she had made it tougher with her initial reluctance to condemn Broadsky's actions. It hadn't been until the man had killed an innocent bystander to get access to her apartment that she had begun to agree with Booth's assessment that Broadsky needed to be brought down. "I owe you an apology."

His head shot up, "Did I hear that right? Ms. Caroline Julian, apologizing to little ole me?" He couldn't hold back his grin.

She swatted his knee with her file folder, "Don't sass me Seeley Booth. And you know this is rarer then hen's teeth so you better listen up." She waited until he put on an appropriately serious expression before continuing, "I should have listened to you earlier. "

He was confused, "About what?"

"About Broadsky. I didn't fully appreciate the danger, and how much he really didn't mind collateral damage. I'm sorry."

Booth sighed, there was enough guilt about Vincent's death already - she didn't to be carrying it around too. "I've been wracking my brains trying to figure out how we could have nailed him faster. I don't see it. We all busted our assess. " He reached out and patted her hand, "Besides, you already apologized."

"You know if you're trying to stay on my good side you shouldn't accuse me of senility. I would remember an apology IF I had made it."

"Well, it was only obvious to a highly skilled investigator." He caught her glare and got to the point, smiling at the memory, "when Broadsky broke into my apartment, after questioning my abilities on why I didn't take him down when he had a gun on me, you suggested he should be lethally injected for it. "

She harrumphed, "I stand by that." She thought about it, "Of course, now, that is a distinct possibility."

Booth shook his head, "Nah. Jacob won't let it get that far." At her unspoken question he continued sadly, "He'll plead guilty and then deliberately piss somebody off so they'll kill him in prison."

She caught the tone, "Are you sure you're okay? Because while I don't disagree with your conclusion, you don't sound real happy about it. What's bothering you? Besides Vincent's death that is? "

"It's nothing, Caroline."

"It's not nothin' if it's eatin' at you. Is it because you knew Broadsky? Or because you have the fool notion that you are two sides of the same coin?" Her gaze narrowed and her tone grew sharp, "Because if that's the case, you best get outta my reach before I smack you upside the head."

He recalled what Sweets had told him when he'd asked his shrinky opinion on the difference between himself and Broadsky. That Broadsky had relished in the power being a sniper had given him, while Booth had accepted the pain and sadness and built a life where people loved and respected him, and that it couldn't have been easy. Sweets was right, there were several times working to get his degree, or at Quantico, or kicking his gambling habit when he'd wondered why the hell he was busting his ass when it would be so much easier to stay in the army and follow orders until his number was up. And here was Caroline, a woman who HE respected the hell out of, who had overcome her own set of obstacles to get where she was letting him know in her unique style that she was one of his people. He had to smile and then registering her threat, hold up his hands in surrender. "No smacking required. Message received. Thanks. And I'm really fine, so why don't you fill me in on how you made the defense attorneys cry in court today."

She laughed and recognizing that he needed the distraction and complied with his request. As they talked, she kept observing him. She could tell he was exhausted and sad from the recent events, but there was something else she couldn't quite put her finger on. If she had to label it, she'd say that for the first time since he came back from Afghanistan he was content. She wondered what else had happened in the last couple of days. She hoped that it had something to do with a certain member of the Jeffersonian staff, but she wasn't going to press him. He'd volunteer when he was ready, and in the meantime she'd just be happy for him.

He looked at his watch, "I'm sorry, Caroline, I gotta go."

She stood. "No problem Cher. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help the squints." She wagged her finger at him and ordered, "And you get some rest. "

He nodded, and they walked out of the office together and waited for the elevators. She was going back up to her office while he was heading down to the parking garage. When hers arrived first, she reached out and gave his hand a squeeze. "I am VERY glad that you came out of this one unscathed Booth. "

He grinned that cheeky grin of his, "Me too Caroline."


	4. Happy Birthday

A/N: During season 4's Con Man in the Meth Lab

Booth sat in his office rubbing his temples, willing the ibuprofen to kick in. It was his birthday, but the day itself had been the rotten cherry on top of a crappy week. Jared had been in town less than 5 days and already he was wishing his little brother was on a ship in the middle of an ocean, any ocean, preferably not the Atlantic-it was too close. Evidently Jared had let something slip in his 5 minute encounter with Sweets because the boy genius shrink was being annoyingly solicitous, and geez wouldn't their next session be fun? What would you like to talk about Agent Booth? Your wonderful childhood? Family dynamics? Oh, you'd rather defer to Dr. Brennan? Ok, Dr. Brennan what would you like to discuss? Your social life? Dating anyone recently? Oh, you'd like to stick with professional topics? Dr. Brennan, how do you feel after being shot? Agent Booth, why don't you tell me how you're doing after your latest kill?

He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to fidget his way into a different mindset. The mountain of paperwork that discharging his weapon required, the fact that he'd be confined to desk duty while the investigation into the shooting meant his professional life was going to suck for the next week. His personal life wasn't looking any less bleak. He'd had Parker last weekend, so he was going to be solo for this next one. Cam was irritated with him because once again he'd bailed Jared out. Easy for her to talk about tough love when the biggest sacrifice her sister had ever asked was to borrow a pair of pumps. Actually, the way Cam regarded her footwear, he guessed the similarities were close. Since Jared and Bones' date, Angela had been looking at him sympathetically when she thought he wasn't paying attention, and even more annoying, so was Hodgins. Then there was Bones. He thought they were back on the right track after their fight, but if he was honest he was still a little wounded that Jared had managed to sow doubts so effectively. He knew that it was a combo of the Booth charm as well as Bones' lack of people skills, but it still stung. It didn't help his confidence that he'd failed to protect her today, even if was a minor injury.

He sighed. He was supposed to join the squints at Founding Father's for drinks and cake, but he really just wanted to go home, slam down a beer or two or five and watch a hockey game, any hockey game, on TV. That's what he wanted to do, but he couldn't. He had to suck it up and go. You just didn't bail on your own celebration without raising some eyebrows. And if he didn't show up and Jared did, God knows what stories his little brother would feed Bones. No need to allow more data points in the "Seeley Booth is a loser" column. Besides, it looked like Jared was going to be in town for a while, so he needed to figure out a way to coexist. Hopefully in a couple of months Jared would be too busy schmoozing with Pentagon brass to want to hang out with his big brother. In his head he could hear Bones' lecture on alpha males vying for dominance in a social group. He rubbed his hand over his face in an attempt to stop it.

In the bullpen Caroline Julian was marching with purpose towards Booth's office amid agents looks of amusement. They knew their boss was not in the best of moods and seeing the prosecutor on the warpath was the definition of unstoppable force meeting immovable object. The younger agents though it might be fun to watch the fireworks while the more experienced of them immediately found pressing business to do in other areas of the Hoover to avoid the shrapnel. She rapped on the door frame and without waiting for his answer walked in and shut the door behind her.

Booth looked up and inwardly groaned. He had known that at some point he would have to deal with the wrath of the prosecutor after trading away his role in the RICO case in exchange for Jared not being charged with DUI but, he'd been hoping for at least a temporary stay of execution. He pondered his options - contrition, aggressive defense, surrender. There was the thought of a prayer for divine intervention in the form of a phone call or natural disaster, but he concluded he didn't need any more evidence that God hated him right now. In the end he decided to just be quiet and listen, he'd mount a defense after she'd let off some steam. Steeling himself he was somewhat stunned when she asked quietly, "Are you okay?"

He tensed, "Yeah, I'm fine." At her skeptical look he added, "unless of course you really came here to yell at me. If that's the case, I've had a traumatic day and I'm an agent on the edge." He added a small smile to let her know he was kidding, mostly.

She shook her head at him, knowing the latter was probably closer to his actual state of mind than either of them wanted to admit. "I'll cut you some slack. " At his questioning look she continued, "Consider it a birthday present. Sorry I won't be able to celebrate later. I have another commitment." She looked at him knowingly, "Somethin' tells me you're not in the mood to celebrate either."

"I'm fine, " he insisted, "I wasn't the one that was shot. And it was minor. Bones will be fine in a couple of weeks. "

"Uh, huh. Why do I get the feeling that you'd feel a whole lot better if you'd taken the bullet?"

Well, she had a point there. But he wasn't going to concede it. Time to change tactics. "So what did you really come down here for?" Crap, he hadn't meant to give her an open invitation to change her mind about the harassment. He amended quickly, "Remember, no yelling."

"I am not going to yell at you. Truth be told, I'm glad the RICO case got bumped to the state." At his raised eyebrows she continued, "RICO cases are a pain in the butt. Ill gotten gains mean deep pockets to hire a ton of high priced lawyers who care more about billable hours than justice so they move slower than molasses in January. AND it's irritatin' that while even though you may be able to put them away for several lifetimes, they've still gotten away with murder." She narrowed her gaze at him, "If you tell anybody I said that, I'll deny it."

He mimed zipping his lips, "Your secret is safe with me. Cher. " He smirked, glad that he could add her to the short list of people not currently annoyed with him. But he knew that something was up, she hadn't come down from her office just to wish him happy birthday.

"BUT" And there it was. The other shoe dropping. He braced himself as he saw her finger starting to point in his direction. "I know from personal experience that little brothers tend to specialize in causing headaches for their older siblings. Lord knows mine did, but you've worked too damn hard and you're too damn good to throw away your career because your brother is too damn dumb to call a cab. " She glared at him, "Don't try to deny it. I have friends in low places at the Maryland state police."

Knowing that she was right and anything he said, could and would be used against him, he remained silent. It didn't matter anyway. She was still on a roll muttering, "I mean, I get it, you do really stupid stuff for family, because whether you like 'em or not, you have to love 'em." She looked at him sharply, "BUT there are limits. And you should know yours Seeley Joseph Booth."

"Yes ma'am." He said it contritely, accompanied by his best altar boy face, hoping she would change the subject. But on the other hand he feared that he wouldn't like any other subject the prosecutor might bring up. He didn't know for sure if she'd heard about Bones' recent date, but on the off chance she hadn't he certainly wasn't going to be the messenger.

She stared at him, assessing. After all, she wasn't above putting her size 6 sensible flats firmly on buttocks (metaphorically) when necessary. Hell, she kinda enjoyed that, but, kickin' a friend when he was down wasn't her style. She studied him carefully and concluded that she'd figuratively slapped him upside the head enough to get the message through. She paused, trying to decide if she should let her opinions on his brother and his partner be known. As far as she was concerned it was as plain as a pig on a couch that the only Booth Dr. Brennan should ever consider dating would be the one in front of her. And no, she didn't actually need to meet Jared to know that she was correct. It simply wasn't possible that the younger Booth could be cuter than the elder and if that wasn't evidence enough the events in Maryland made it clear which brother had received the lion's share of the family integrity. However, the other trait big brother Booth had in spades was protectiveness of his family so she'd have to tread lightly lest he get his back up, and she suspected it wouldn't take much after a day like today.

She watched as he fidgeted, avoiding eye contact and concluded that she would save her opinions on his love life for another day. Given the glacial pace that he and Dr. Brennan were proceeding at, it wasn't like she wouldn't have another opportunity, she sighed, but not quite to herself. He looked up at the noise, uncertainty written all over his face, and that sealed the deal for her. Damn anyone who would make him question his abilities.

"I know you'll be riding the desk for a few days Cher. Damn bureaucrats." He gave a half smile at her obvious irritation. "I'm outta court the rest of the week, so birthday lunch tomorrow? I'm buyin."

It turned into a full fledged smile, knowing that Caroline Julian did not open her purse often, "It's a date!"


	5. Mistletoe

A/N: Thanks to anne1585 for the suggestion.

Caroline Julian sat at her desk cup of coffee in hand checking her email. Scrolling through the list of new messages and one caught her eye:

From: Warden Subject: Max Keenan - for your amusement.

She put her mug down. No sense spitting it out on her keyboard and she was sure the contents of this note would cause her to splutter, not to mention what it would do to her blood pressure. She clicked on the link with trepidation.

She scanned the contents, suspicion confirmed. They wanted her to sign off on a Brennan family Christmas at the jail. Well, she had to hand it to Dr. Brennan. That woman had some serious brass ovaries. Normally she applauded that kind of chutzpah. But, Max Keenan and Russ Brennan had crossed the line when they damaged her beloved Gremlin. Some things are just unforgivable. And no, it didn't matter that Booth had worked with an army buddy to repair the damage. In some ways they had done too good a job on it, banging out some of the character along with the dents. And the engine hummed so smoothly she'd had to talk her way out of at least one speeding ticket. Who needed that aggravation in their life?

And speaking of aggravation, the Brennans had obviously done a number on Seeley Booth. Escorting Russ to the hospital before arresting him. Pulling strings to recommend leniency on the parole violation. While she grudgingly had to admire the connections the agent had, after all the archbishop of DC WAS pretty impressive, and his loyalty to his partner, she wasn't sure what to think about having him cross her. She really preferred him as a member of team Julian. Not that she totally blamed him for jumping sides. Dr. Brennan WAS a major reason for the high solve rate on the fourth floor as well as her current string of convictions and favorable plea deals, so she understood the importance of keeping the good doctor happy, but that didn't mean she had to wholeheartedly embrace it.

She contemplated her options. The email stated that Dr. Brennan had been informed of the documentation needed from the lead prosecutor, and she had no doubt Brennan would ask for it - she could put herself in the drivers seat. So, the question was, what did she really want from the anthropologist? She sipped her coffee and thought, truth was, she was already feeling a little bad. She had no doubt that Max Keenan was guilty as hell, but it wasn't like he was dangerous. Realistically, if Max hadn't done the dirty work, she'd be prosecuting Deputy Director Kirby for his crimes. She was going to have a hard time bringing her A game against the ex-con because she liked him a lot more than his victim, plus even if they won they'd lose. She couldn't imagine that it would sit well with any of the squints if they put Dr. B's father in jail for life, or worse on death row. She was never one to turn down a leverage opportunity, but this felt wrong.

Another hit of caffeine and she was smiling to herself. Using the situation to HER advantage might not work, but there was no reason her friends couldn't benefit. And speaking of friends with benefits, she knew exactly who be the recipient of her good fortune. She leaned back in her chair and strategized. If she played this right they would ALL win.

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It took most of the day before Dr. Brennan caught up with her and she was able to lay out the terms of her cooperation. Mistletoe, on the lips, Booth, 5 steamboats. She figured she'd have a day to anticipate the scenario and was determined to enjoy it. Hopefully the agent would as well, he'd been trying to put up a good front, but the idea of Christmas without his son was definitely putting a damper on his holiday spirit. She shook her head. Ms. Stinson better hope that she never found herself in an elevator with her. She could verbally smack the blonde upside the head so hard she'd forget her name by the time they reached the lobby. She hated it when parents weaponized their children anyway, but it really made her blood boil in this case because you'd have to be blind as a bat to miss the devotion between father and son.

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She made her way back to the Hoover in a daze. It was a good thing that she had prepared the approval documents in advance so that all she had to was press send because there was no way she could put together a coherent sentence right now. Also good that she didn't have to be in a courtroom later. Despite their protestations, THAT was a kiss. She wasn't sure whether she needed a cigarette or a cold shower or both. Damn. She'd always suspected that all that bickering was actually a weird version of flirting, but having it played out in live technicolor 3 feet from you well, being hit by a freight train seemed an understatement.

She replayed the scene in her mind and found that she while the kiss was still jaw dropping, when she focused on the aftermath the event wasn't as pleasing. Dr. Brennan's defense mechanisms had kicked into gear faster than a politician grabbed a donation check. She got it, she really did, as part of her trial prep she'd done a great deal of research on the lives of Max and Ruth Keenan and the havoc their choices had wreaked on their children. Understanding the background made the good doctor's many achievements all the more admirable. What bothered her was that Booth, always good at reading people, hadn't recognized the "kissing my brother" comment for the deflection that it was. Oh, he'd covered it well, but she had seen the brief flicker of hurt in his eyes. She sighed to herself, for all his confidence in his professional abilities, the agent had some serious insecurities in his personal life, well disguised but there. She understood that as well, between the current situation with Rebecca and whatever happened in his childhood - the agent hadn't yet confided in her the reason he'd been raised by his grandparents, but she knew that his parents were still alive so one didn't need Dr. Sweets levels of psychological insight to recognize that there were probably some unresolved issues there.

They were the most frustrating non-coupled couple she had ever met. But, she guessed she'd have to live with that. While she didn't regret her foray into matchmaking, she decided that she wouldn't go there again. She wouldn't risk Booth getting hurt because Dr. Brennan wasn't ready to let down her shields. The agent would just have to wear down the anthropologist one charm smile at a time. Luckily he seemed to have an endless supply of those. And she'd just have to have faith that the good Lord will give the two of them would have all the days they needed to get their acts together.

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Booth had run out of things to keep him busy. The paperwork on the dead Santa case was caught up so far, and he knew that he wasn't focused enough to handle the finishing touches on the staff evaluations he needed to submit. Going home wasn't going to help - staring at the Christmas decorations knowing that Parker wouldn't be with him was too depressing. He'd already done a tough workout this morning to ease the frustrations stemming from Rebecca's vacation plans. He thought about heading out for a beer but he wasn't in the mood to drink alone. Calling Bones was out of the question and even if she hadn't told anyone anything about their little adventure under the the mistletoe Angela's radar about such things was bound to have gone off and with it the Jeffersonian rumor mill, so facing Cam wasn't high on his list of fun things to do right now. Maybe he should go shoot something. Yeah, heading down to the range seemed his best option. He grabbed his stuff and headed to the elevator. He fidgeted as he waited. Was just about to head to the stairs when the doors opened. To one Caroline Julian. By herself. In her coat and carrying her briefcase which meant they were companions until the parking garage. Crap. Where were other agents when you needed them? Well, HE wasn't going to bring up the earlier events. Maybe she wouldn't either. Right, Ms. Julian speechless twice in one day? That was asking too much, even in this season of miracles.  
And as that thought finished in his head she spoke.

"I sent the paperwork off for the trailer. The Brennan family Christmas is good to go."

He was acutely aware of the piece of gum still in his mouth. The flavor was long gone, but he hadn't spit it out yet. He shifted it to speak, "Oh. That's good. Um, thanks."

"Well, a deal's a deal. And you and Dr. Brennan certainly delivered." She watched as the blush colored his cheeks even as he refused to meet her gaze. Evidently the floor indicators above the doors were worthy of careful observation.

They rode in silence to the parking garage. As they exited they headed in opposite directions towards their respective cars she called, "Hey Cher?"

He stopped with his back to her, "Yeah?"

She paused, waiting for him to face her. "Dr. Brennan can try and fool herself all she wants. But there wasn't nothin' fraternal about that kiss." When he made no move to respond she added, "Figure out what you want, Seeley Booth, if it's her, I have no doubt that you two can do the happily ever after."

He gave a half grin and shook his head, "Puckish AND a romantic. Who knew Ms. Julian had so many soft sides?" At her glare, the grin turned into a full blown smile, "Merry Christmas Caroline."

"Merry Christmas Booth."

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Sorry for the long delay in updates. Personal life has been chaotic. Reviews/prompts appreciated.


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